Cleaning apparatus



July 18, 1967 w. c. GREGORY v 3,331,163

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jw/f/vme. M04 44 6. zsaazy,

July 18, 1967 w. c GREGORY 3,331,163

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 18, 1967 w. c. GREGORY 3,331,153

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet a L a dawn 14 July 18, 1967 w. c. GREGORY CLEANING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 17, 1964 Away/v2. W/z/zM/w 5 62562267,

- United States Patent 3,331,163 CLEANING APPARATUS William C. Gregory, 520 N. Burris St., Compton, Calif. 90221 Filed Sept. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 397,218 7 Claims. (Cl; 51-8) 'My invention relates to improvements in cleaning apparatus, and particularly to apparatus designed to clean by compressed air and abrasive materials, electrically energized equipment and electrical transmission line insulators, and especially energized equipment or insulators which are covered with dust and dirt, silicone grease hardened by atmospheric exposure and ineffective silicone grease, as well as to coat energized equipment or insulators with water repellent material; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide an arrangement and construction of a cleaning apparatus adapted to permit the cleaning of energized equipment and transmission line insulators by the use of compressed air and suitable cleaning materials and to permit the coating of energized equipment and transmission line insulators by the use of compressed air mixed with water repellent materials in liquid or powder form, without the necessity of interrupting the high voltage transmission of electrical current; second, to afford facilities to clean by the use of compressed air mixed with materials in liquid or powder form fully energized high voltage equipment and electrical transmission line insulators with absolute safety to the operator of the apparatus; third, to provide in an apparatus designed to clean or coat electrically energized equipment and electrical transmission line insulators a selector valve so constructed as to permit the controlled operation of the flow of materials from the apparatus to the equipment to be cleaned or coated; and fourth, to provide automatically operating designed to clean or coat electrically energized equipment and transmission line insulators, which is simple, inexpensive to manufacture and'subject to remote control by means of a selector valve.

Additional objects, together with further advantages derived in utilizing the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows an elevational side view of my cleaning apparatus, partially broken away and in section;

FIGURE 2 shows a double orifice nozzle designed to overcome back-lash pressure;

FIGURE 3 is a top view in perspective of the nozzle illustrated in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plane view of my device taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plane view of my device taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view in crosssec-tion of my device taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view in cross-section of my selector valve;

FIGURE 8 is a plane view of my selector valve taken on line 88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a plane view of my selector valve taken on line 99 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is a plane view of my selector valve taken on line 10-10 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 11 is a plane view of my selector valve taken on line 1111 of FIGURE 7;

'FIGURE 12 is a side elevational view of a compressed air dryer used in association with my cleaning apparatus;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged elevational cross-sectional view of the dryer illustrated in FIGURE 12;

'FIGURE 14 is a plane view in section of my dryer taken on line 1414 of FIGURE 13;

'FIGURE 15 shows a top view of a modified nozzle for use of the equipment with liquid coating and cleaning agents; and

FIGURE 16 shows a side elevational view of my modified nozzle, partially broken away and in section, and a solvent storage container.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The cleaning apparatus comprises generally a pressure vessel, 10, and associated piping, a compressed air dryer, 20, a selector valve, 30, regulating the flow of compressed air to the pressure vessel, 10, and associated piping, and the delivery apparatus, 40, generally including a nozzle, 41, a hollow nonconductive rod, 42, and flexible piping, 43.

The pressure vessel, 10, generally comprises a cylindrical container having an inlet opening, 11, and an outlet opening, 12.

The vessel has a rounded bottom portion, 13, containing a perforated cylindrical shield, 14, and a center perforated pipe, 15, extending vertically into said vessel through the outlet opening, 12, and the center of said shield, 14.

An inlet check valve, 16, is attached to said pressure vessel below said shield, 14, and extends downwardly from said pressure vessel.

A relief valve, 17, is provided in the wall of the pressure vessel in the upper portion thereof.

An air relief outlet, 18, is provided in the upper portion of the pressure vessel in the wall opposite to the relief valve, 17.

A particle vibrator, 19, is aifixed by suitable piping below the outlet opening, 12, by a suitable sleeve, 21, which is closed by a suitable plug, 22, at the bottom thereof. This vibrator 19 can be any type which will shake particles in accordance with this invention. However, the vibrator shown is pneumatically operated.

Openings are provided in the sleeve for the purpose of connecting piping between the selector valve, 30, and the sleeve, 21, and between the delivery apparatus, 40, and the sleeve, 21.

Flat iron supports, 23, 23, are welded to the outside shell of the pressure vessel, and extend to an axle, 24, having suitable rubber tired wheels, 25, 25, affixed thereto.

An angle iron support, 26, is welded to the pressure vessel opposite to the axle and extends downwardly to the ground so that the pressure vessel is held in a vertical position.

The compressed air dryer, 20, comprises a pressure vessel mounted on angle iron legs, 27, 27, in a vertical position.

The compressed air dryer generally comprises a pressure contained vessel, 28, having a compressed air outlet, 29, at the bottom thereof and a pressure closing plate, 31, at the top thereof consisting of a flat bar, 32, to which a bolt, 33, is attached which extends through the cover plate, 34, covering the top opening of the vessel Which is sealed by a suitable rubber ring, 35.

A compressed air relief valve, 36, is attached to the outside wall of the vessel in the top portion thereof.

In the Wall opposite to the wall Where the compressed air relief valve, 36, is attached, a compressed air inlet, 37, is provided in the top portion of the vessel.

A second compressed air relief valve, 38, is attached to the vessel below the compressed air inlet, 37.

Water is removed by the dryer through mechanical as well as chemical means.

A cylinder, 39, containing a helical spiral passage is rigidly afiixed to the inside of the vessel and extends upwardly in said vessel to a predetermined level below the upper compressed air relief valve, 36.

The outside wall of the cylinder, 39, is comprised of a fine mesh screen, 39a, and the lower end of the cylinder, 39, is covered by a similar fine mesh screen, 39b.

The center of the vessel is formed by a cylindrical canister, 44, having perforated cylindrical portions, 45 and 46, respectively, at the top and bottom of said canister.

A domed portion, 60, is formed between the cover plate, 34, of the compressed air dryer and cylinder, 39.

The canister, 44, is filled in operation with an air drying agent such as pellets of alumina, silica gel, or other commercially available drying agents, and is removably disposed in a cylindrical support frame, 47, affixed to the bottom portion of the dryer.

The outside of the cylindrical support frame, 47, forms with the inside wall of the cylinder, 39, a cylindrical compressed air passage, 47a.

A water drain cock, 48, is provided in the bottom of the vessel below the cylinder, 39.

Suitable piping, 49, extends from the compressed air outlet, 29, to the selector valve, 30.

The selector valve controls the flow of dehydrated compressed air from the compressed air dryer, 20, to the pressure vessel, 10, and associated equipment.

The selector valve, 30, is a rotary type valve compris ing a valve stem, 50, and a valve housing, 51.

The valve stem, 50, is seated in the housing by a valve nut, 52, exerting pressure against the housing at the top of the housing by means of a compression spring, 53, and a plug, 54, screwthreadedly afiixed to the bottom of the housing and pressing the valve stem upwardly by means of a compression spring, 55, disposed between the plug and the bottom portion of the valve stem.

The top portion of the valve stem, 50, is provided with a cylindrical opening, 56, extending into said valve stem for a predetermined distance and having an opening, 57, extending horizontally to the outside of the valve stem.

The lower portion of the valve stem, 50, has a cylindrical opening, 58, extending a predetermined distance from the bottom thereof and ending in a horizontal passage, 59, extending to the outside of the valve stem.

The lower portion of the opening, 58, is closed by means of a suitable screwthreaded plug, 61.

Additional horizontal passages, 62, 63, 64, extend from the last named opening, 58, horizontally to the outside of the valve stem, 50, where they communicate with passages provided in the valve housing, 51, as hereinafter described.

A valve seat and passage, 65, in the valve housing communicates when the valve is in the open position with the horizontal passage, 59, provided in the valve stem, and said passage, 65, is connected by suitable piping to the air relief outlet, 18, provided in the upper portion of the pressure vessel, 10.

A valve seat and passage, 66, is provided in the valve housing and when the valve is in the open position communicates with the horizontal passage, 59, provided in the valve stem and said horizontal passage, 66, communicates by suitable piping, 67, with the vibrator, 19.

A check valve, 68, is provided in the piping for the control of flow of compressed air from the selector valve to the vibrator, 19.

A horizontal passage, 69, and valve seat is provided in the valve housing and when in the open position communicates with the horizontal passage, 62, in the valve stem and communicates by suitable piping, 70, to the sleeve, 21, located below the outlet opening, 12, of the pressure vessel, 10, and forming part of the vibrator, 19.

In the wall opposite to the connection of the piping, 70, into the sleeve, 21, suitable stationary piping, 71, extends from the sleeve, 21, to the delivery apparatus, 40.

A horizontal passage, 72, and valve seat provided in the valve housing, 51, communicates when the valve is in the open position with the horizontal passage, 64, provided in the valve stem and said horizontal passage, 72, extends by suitable piping, 73, to the inlet opening, 11, of the pressure vessel, 10.

Dehydrated compressed air is provided to the selector valve, 30, from the compressed air dryer, 20, through a horizontal passage, 74, communicating with a horizontal passage, 63, in the valve stem and extending to the cylindrical opening, 58.

The horizontal passages, 62 and 74, respectively, are in substantial vertical alignment and the openings have a truncated cone shape and provide, when the valve stem is turned a controlled liow of compressed air to the delivery apparatus and vibrator, respectively, permitting the passage of dehydrated compressed air to the delivery apparatus with or without the assistance of the vibrator, 19, which vibrator, 19, may be further controlled by controlling the passage of dehydrated compressed air between the selector valve and the vibrator by means of the check valve, 68.

The selector valve illustrated in FIGURES 7 to 11, inclusively, shows the passage and delivery of dehydrated compressed air to the sleeve, 21, and the vibrator, 19, while the horizontal passages connecting the selector valve to the inlet opening, 11, of the pressure vessel, 10, and the air relief outlet, 18, extending from the top portion of the pressure vessel, 10, to the cylindrical opening, 56, provided in the valve stem, are closed.

The delivery apparatus, 40, is connected by flexible piping, 43, to the stationary piping, 71, and the free end of the flexible piping, 43, the length of which may be varied with the needs of a particular requirement, connects to a hollow non-conductive rod, 42, which carries a nozzle, 41, suitable for the particular application desired.

For example, the nozzle illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 3 of the drawing provides two orifices, and 81, respectively, having the advantage of eliminating backlash of the mixture passing through the nozzle and may be spaced a predetermined distance apart to fit the standard distance between two vertical rows of electrical insulators.

In operation, compressed air is supplied to the dryer, 20, through the compressed air inlet, 37, and descends centrifuging through the helical spiral passage of the cylinder, 39, to the bottom of the dryer from where it ascends through the cylindrical compressed air passage, 43, to the domed portion, 60, of the dryer and passing through the perforated cylindrical portion, 45, of the canister, 44, descends through the drying agent and passes through the perforated cylindrical portion, 46, of the canister, 44, through the compressed air outlet, 29, through suitable piping, 49, to the selector valve, 30.

In the normally closed position of the selector valve, passage is provided from the interior of the pressure vessel, 10, through the air relief outlet, 18, through suitable piping, 82, to the valve seat and passage, 65, of thevalve housing and through the cylindrical opening, 56, provided in the center of the valve stem to the outside air.

When the valve stem is turned in a clockwise direction, this last described passage is closed and dehydrated compressed air will be supplied to the vibrator and to the delivery apparatus.

The operation of the vibrator may be adjusted by the turn of the valve stem as well as by the operation of the check valve, 68.

Compressed air may be delivered to the bottom of the pressure vessel by further rotation of the valve stem opening the passage through the selector valve to the inlet opening, 11, of the pressure vessel, 10, as shown in FIGURE 11 of the drawing.

The alignment of the outgoing passages or bores with the compressed air inlet passage of the selector valve provides the following controlled combinations, namely, (1) the passage of air from the pressure vessel to the outside, at which time the dehydrated compressed air inlet of the selector valve is closed; (2) the passage of dehydrated compressed air from the inlet passage of the selector valve to the sleeve of the vibrator and the delivery apparatus and the simultaneous supply of dehydrated compressed air to the vibrator; (3) the supply of dehydrated compressed air through the inlet passage of the selector valve to the vibrator and the simultaneous passage and supply of dehydrated compressed air to the interior of the pressure vessel.

Instead of the nozzle illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, a modified nOZZle, 82, may be used in connection with a cylindrical container, $3, controllable by a nozzle orifice adjusting disc, 84, as illustrated in FIGURES and 16 of the drawing.

By the use of my selector valve, I am able to control through the vibrator the mixture of compressed air and abrasives or other particles suitable for cleaning or coating which I store in my pressure vessel, and once the selected mixture is determined, the flow may be regulated by the use of the selector valve to the particular proportions desired with or without the addition of liquid solvents or coatings which may be added by the use of my modified nozzle illustrated in FIGURE 16.

While specific forms of my invention have been described, it is understood that the same may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a cleaning apparatus a source of compressed air, a centrifuging compressed air dryer communicating with said source of compressed air, a pressure vessel communicating with said air dryer, granulated materials stored in predetermined quantity in said pressure vessel, means attached to said pressure vessel adapted to supply dehydrated compressed air to said pressure vessel, means attached to said pressure vessel adapted to restore atmospheric pressure to said pressure vesse1,,.a vibrator attached to said pressure vessel and adapted to conduct granulated materials from said pressure vessel in predetermined quantity and to suspend said granulated materials in a continous flow of dehydrated compressed air, and a selector valve adapted to operate each of said means above named alternately and concurrently.

2. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the compressed air dryer comprises a pressure contained vessel having a compressed air outlet at the bottom thereof and a pressure closing plate at the top thereof, a cylinder containing a helical passageway rigidly afl xed to the inside of said pressure contained vessel and extending upwardly in said vessel to a predetermined level, a cylindrical support frame afiixed to the bottom portion of said pressure contained vessel and extending upwardly therefrom at a predetermined distance, a canister having perforated cylindrical top and bottom portions removably disposed in the cylindrical support frame, compressed air drying agents stored in said canister and a compressed air inlet provided in the top portion of said pressure contained vessel, said air inlet communicating with the upper portion of said helical passageway, said top portion of the canister communicating with a bottom outlet from said helical passageway, said bottom portion of the cannister communicating with said air outlet in the vessel so as to provide a continuous drying passageway between the air inlet and air outlet thereof.

3. In a cleaning apparatus the combination of a compressed air dryer, a pressure vessel communicating with said compressed air dryer, means to release the pressure in said pressure vessel attached to said pressure, granulated materials stored in said pressure vessel in predetermined quantity, a vibrator to expel said granulated materials from said pressure vessel in predetermined quantity, means conducting compressed air adapted to receive and suspend said expelled granulated materials in predetermined quantity in said compressed air and a selector valve disposed between said compressed air dryer and said pressure vessel and communicating therewith adapted to regulate selectively the pressure supplied to the means adapted to reduce the pressure in the pressure vessel, the vibrator, the means conducting said compressed air and suspending granulated materials therein and to supply pressure to said pressure vessel.

4. Cleaning apparatus especially adapted to clean electrical equipment while energized, comprising: an air drying vessel adapted to receive compressed air therein, said vessel having an air inlet and an air outlet and an air passageway therein between said inlet and said outlet which includes a concentric helical conduit that centrifuges air passing therethrough and a cannister containing air drying chemicals, thereby dehydrating air passing therethrough; a pressure vessel adapted to hold a quantity of cleaning particles, said pressure vessel having an air inlet and a particle outlet through which cleaning particles contained therein can be emitted; an outlet sleeve secured to said pressure vessel and communicating with said particle outlet; a particle vibrator attached to said outlet sleeve adjacent to its connection with the outlet of said pressure vessel, said vibrator capable of being selectively actuated to shake cleaning particles from said pressure vessel as they are emitted therefrom; control means to actuate said vibrator; air conduit means interconnecting the air outlet of said air drying vessel with both the air inlet of said pressure vessel and said outlet sleeve secured thereto; a selector valve interposed in said air conduit means between said air drying vessel and said pressure vessel and also between said air conduit means and said outlet sleeve, said selector valve actuatable to divert predetermined quantities of air received from said air drying vessel between said pressure vessel and said outlet sleeve secured thereto; air and cleaning particles delivery means including a hollow, electrically non-conductive rod having a nozzle outlet; and pipe means connecting said outlet sleeve and said non-conductive rod, said pipe means receiving a preselected mixture of vibrated cleaning particles from said pressure vessel and dehydrated air from said air drying vessel.

5. Cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the particle vibrator is operated by airpressure, a vibrator conduit connects said vibrator with the selector valve and said selector valve controls the actuation of said vibrator by varying the air pressure thereto.

6. Cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said pressure vessel has an air relief outlet and a relief conduit connecting said relief outlet with said selector valve.

7. Cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said air inlet is in the upper portion of said air drying vessel and opens into the helical conduit, and said air outlet is in the bottom of said air drying vessel in communicating with the air drying chemicals in the air passageway, said helical conduit is vertical so that air descends from said inlet through said helical conduit to the bottom of said drying vessel, a vertical duct communicates with the bottom of said helical conduit and the portion of the air passageway containing the drying chemicals has an inlet in the upper portion of said vessel so that air ascends through said vertical duct and descents through said air drying particles to said air outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,433,302 10/ 1922 R'othchild 51-12 1,467,488 9/ 1923 Muste 5112 1,899,528 2/1933 Rosenberger 51-12 2,729,917 1/ 1956 Gregory 518 LESTER M. SWINGLE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CLEANING APPARATUS A SOURCE OF COMPRESSED AIR, A CENTRIFUGING COMPRESSED AIR DRYER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SOURCE OF COMPRESSED AIR, A PRESSURE VESSEL COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AIR DRYER, GRANULATED MATERIALS STORED IN PREDETERMINED QUANTITY IN SAID PRESSURE VESSEL, MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL ADAPTED TO SUPPLY DEHYDRATED COMPRESSED AIR TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL, MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL ADAPTED TO RESTORE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL,, A VIBRATOR ATTACHED TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL AND ADAPTED TO CONDUCT GRANULATED MATERIALS FROM SAID PRESSURE VESSEL IN PREDETERMINED QUANTITY AND TO SUSPEND SAID GRANULATED MATERIALS IN A CONTINOUS FLOW OF DEHYDRATED COMPRESSED AIR, AND A SELECTOR VALVE ADAPTED TO OPERATE EACH OF SAID MEANS ABOVE NAMED ALTERNATELY AND CONCURRENTLY. 